


epilogue

by curiositas



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Epilogue, Fluff, Gen, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26405737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiositas/pseuds/curiositas
Summary: After everything has been said and done, Jack and Crutchie are back at the fire escape.
Relationships: Crutchie & Jack Kelly
Kudos: 11





	epilogue

**Author's Note:**

> fair warning: this is short.

“And then, I told ‘im, “That’s just the price of doing business.””

The two’s laughter echoed from a fire escape high above the streets. “Aw, Crutchie, you really shoulda seen his face!”

“Oh, I wish! You really showed him what for, Jack.”

“Yeah…” Jack sighed and slumped back against the railing. His eyes were fixed at the city, with its lights all aglow. He had seen this view a thousand times before, but this time, it felt different. In fact, everything felt different after what happened. So much had taken place over the past few days that it was hard to believe it all. The strike, the rally, the Children’s Crusade; it was all in a blur.

_ But they won, _ Jack realized, something he yelled out to every newsie of New York.  _ They won. _

“Oh yeah,” said Jack, snapping out of his trance. He quickly shuffled through his small crate of papers and pulled out an issue of the  _ New York Sun. _ “Take a look at dis!”

Crutchie’s eyes widened at the headline. “Newsies Stop the World…” he echoed. He gripped it excitedly. “Look, there’s me! Jack, that’s me! I’m on the pape!”

“Yeah, kid,” Jack replied, smiling at the other boy and putting an arm around him.

“Lookit, there’s all of us in here! There’s you, Specs, Finch, Davey, Race…and Kat wrote about us!”

“Yeah,” laughed Jack. “She did.”

He snatched another paper. “She wrote this, too.”

“The Newsies Banner! How about that?” exclaimed Crutchie. He nudged Jack in the chest and pointed to the drawing below the headline. “Hey, I recognize that!”

Jack laughed and ruffled his hair. “That’s what they used for the Children’s Crusade.”

“What’s a crusade?”

“Well,” Jack began. “It’s kinda like a bunch of people comin’ together to fight. They don’t fight each other; kinda like an army. Davey an’ Katherine had to give me a whole history lesson, but it all went over my head.”

Crutchie chuckled. He stared for a moment at the paper in his hands, drinking in the reality.

“Oh, say Jack,” he spoke. “Didn’t Pulitzer offer you a new job or somethin’?”

“Yeah.”

“You gonna take it?”

Jack paused at the question. “Maybe.”

Crutchie’s smile slightly wilted, even though it was the truth. Newsies never stuck around for too long. Young ones would always come and replace the old. Nobody would care if you showed up for work or not. If you could sell papes, you sell papes. If, the next day, you couldn’t, no one would bat an eye. And most older newsies would grow up to pursue some other job or leave New York, if they could. It was a fact of life, and they all accepted that.

“So, you ain’t gonna be a newsie anymore?” he asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Jack objected. “Only a newsie can run the union, and I ain’t givin’ up my spot as president. I’m always gonna be a newsie.”

“But he gave you a job! Ain’t you gonna take it? It’s sure gonna pay more than hawkin’ papes.”

“Just because I’m gonna be drawin’ for the papes while you’s hawkin’ doesn’t mean that I ain’t gonna be one a’ you’s anymore.” Jack put a hand on his chest. “We’s a family. Ain’t nothin’ gonna change that.”

Crutchie’s eyes widened, and he began to smile. “Newsies forever?”

“Second to none.”


End file.
